- The Jobs Report Probably Won't Change the Fed's Mind on Liftoff (BBG)
- U.S. authorities look for militant links to shooters in California mass slaying (Reuters)
- Neighbors, Acquaintances Shocked That Couple Are San Bernardino Shooting Suspects (WSJ)
- ECB Fumbles the Stimulus-Baton Hand-off, Mussing Up Fed’s Plans (WSJ)
- OPEC Heads for Status Quo as Members Clash Over Crude Output Cut (BBG)
- Foreigners drawn in as fear and loathing grip China's finance industry (Reuters)
- Uber Raises Funding at $62.5 Billion Valuation (BBG)
- China's premier says will ruthlessly deal with zombie firms (Reuters)
- At Yahoo, Pressure for Change Tests Board’s Loyalty to Mayer (WSJ)
- Senate Votes to Repeal Most of Obamacare Despite Veto Threat (BBG)
- Brazilian Bank BTG Gets $1.6 Billion Credit Line (WSJ)
- Israel trained against Russian-made air defense system in Greece (Reuters)
- U.S. Targets Islamic State's Baghdadi as Special Forces Gear Up (BBG)
- Morgan Stanley Said to Start Cutting Fixed-Income Jobs in London (BBG)
- China's Bond Leverage Tops $1.2 Trillion in Replay of Stock Boom (BBG)
- Obama lights national tree, remembers California victims (Reuters)
- Avon Investor Barington Urges Company to Avoid `Fire Sale' Deal (BBG)
Overnight Media Digest
WSJ
- Avon Products Inc is close to selling part of its business to a private equity firm just as an activist investor is readying its own campaign to turn around the struggling 130-year-old beauty products seller.(http://on.wsj.com/1IsMsq9)
- A jury on Thursday convicted former Massey Energy Chief Executive Don Blankenship of conspiracy to violate federal mine-safety laws but acquitted him of more onerous counts of lying to regulators and investors in connection with 2010 coal mine explosion that killed 29 miners. (http://on.wsj.com/1IsMApw)
- NRG Energy Inc's high-profile Chief Executive David Crane stepped down on Thursday in the face of investor unhappiness over his investments in renewable energy and this year's 59 percent drop in the power generation company's share price. (http://on.wsj.com/1IsMDBU)
- San Francisco startup Lyft Inc confirmed Thursday it is teaming up with Southeast Asia's GrabTaxi Holdings Pte Ltd and India's Ola to allow users of each app to hail rides from drivers of the other apps while they are traveling to the other country. (http://on.wsj.com/1IsMKx3)
FT
European Central Bank President Mario Draghi's latest bid to revive the eurozone economy by extending unprecedented monetary easing triggered a sharp sell-off on Thursday in markets that had bet on even more.
British Prime Minister David Cameron has given up hope of a new membership deal for Britain at this month's European Union summit after European allies reacted with alarm to him stepping up demands for treaty changes to ban benefits for new migrant workers.
In a referendum vote that is likely to be welcomed by euro sceptics across the continent, Denmark rejected further integration with the European Union.
David Cameron's successful call for Britain to join the fight against Isis in Syria marks a significant shift in focus, as the British prime minister embarks on his second and final term in office determined to restore Britain's reputation as a global player.
NYT
- Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in a post defending his plans to give away 99 percent of his wife Priscilla Chan's and his shares in the company, said the couple were channeling their wealth through an L.L.C. instead of a more traditional foundation to give themselves maximum flexibility. (http://nyti.ms/1XMiZch)
- Donald Blankenship, former chairman and CEO of the Massey Energy Co, who was widely criticized after 29 workers were killed in the Upper Big Branch mine in 2010, was convicted Thursday of conspiring to violate federal safety standards. (http://bit.ly/1XMjkM8)
- Avon Products is in discussions to sell its North American business to a tough-nosed private equity firm as part of the cosmetics maker's efforts to turn around its fortunes, people with direct knowledge of the matter said on Thursday. (http://nyti.ms/1XMjuDq)
- In a historic transformation of the American military, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said on Thursday that Pentagon would open all combat jobs to women. (http://nyti.ms/1XMjNOC)
Canada
THE GLOBE AND MAIL
** The Liberal government is creating an independent board to suggest the names of Canadians who would make good senators and plans to fill the large number of vacancies in the scandal-plagued chamber quickly. (http://bit.ly/1jCVF3h)
** Suncor Energy Inc has extended its hostile C$4.3-billion takeover bid for Canadian Oil Sands Ltd, giving new hope to investors holding out for a richer offer. (http://bit.ly/1It8gSl)
** A retired British Columbia Supreme Court judge has been appointed to investigate allegations made against author Steven Galloway, who was suspended last month as chair of the University of British Columbia's creative writing program. (http://bit.ly/1OC5L1j)
NATIONAL POST
** The Alberta government was worried about major potential liabilities when it helped broker a backroom deal with a select group of industry players and green groups that led to a hard cap on oilsands emissions, one of the deal's participants says. (http://bit.ly/21B9ams)
** With Internet retail sales expected to hit new highs over the Christmas period, Sears Canada's executive chairman admits the department store's Sears.ca online business is in need of a major overhaul. (http://bit.ly/1Q4IJ4B)
** The Toronto Real Estate Board president said 7,385 homes were sold through the multiple listing service last month, a 14 per cent increase from a year ago. (http://bit.ly/1NrBzRn)
China
21ST CENTURY BUSINESS HERALD
- China has launched over 1,800 private-public partnership projects this year so far with a total investment of 3.4 trillion yuan ($531.48 billion), the newspaper reported, without citing any sources.
SECURITIES TIMES
- China will soon release a green manufacturing project plan recently as part of the country's "Made in China 2025" strategy, said Yang Tiesheng, a vice director in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
- A declining trend in the medicine industry's revenue and profits will continue in 2016, with main revenue growth and total profit growth rate expected to be 11 percent and 7.5 percent respectively, said Hua Xuewei, the vice director of China National Pharmaceutical Industry Information Center.
CHINA DAILY
- China will have 110 operational nuclear reactors by 2030, becoming one of the world's largest nuclear energy users, Power Construction Corp of China said on Thursday.
- Construction of China's first luxury cruise ship will begin in 2017 and take three years, Chen Jun, vice-president of shipyard Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, said on Wednesday.
Britain
The Times
* Britain is on course for stronger growth of 0.6 percent in the final three months of the year after a surge in activity in the country's dominant services sector. (http://thetim.es/1QXkTb5)
* Neil Woodford has defended his loss-making investment in Northwest Biotherapeutics, a cancer treatment company accused of financial impropriety and sued by shareholders. (http://thetim.es/1NKlsVu)
The Telegraph
* U.S. pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer Inc is planning to close a facility in Britain, with the loss of 120 jobs. (http://bit.ly/1m0fxzi)
* Jaguar Land Rover's staff have questioned their Indian owner's commitment to the UK, after the Tata conglomerate cut thousands of jobs at its British steel-making operation as a result of the crisis in the industry. (http://bit.ly/1TCxIWR)
The Guardian
* Eurozone markets have plunged after the European Central Bank president dashed investors' hopes of aggressive new measures to boost the flagging economy. (http://bit.ly/1Ir4cC7)
* Cerberus, the U.S. private equity group that recently bought 13 billion pounds ($19.69 billion) of former Northern Rock mortgages, has been accused in the Northern Ireland assembly of paying kickbacks to help it win a 1.1 billion pounds property assets portfolio. (http://bit.ly/1jBnp8B)
Sky News
* Two call centres run by operator Webhelp on behalf of retailer Shop Direct are to close with the loss of 700 jobs, the firm said. (http://bit.ly/1PA3tkT)
* The Institute of Directors, often referred to as the bosses' union, has kicked off a search for a new director-general as Simon Walker prepares to step down next year. (http://bit.ly/1HJtaN8)
The Independent
* Diesel has fallen to its lowest price in six years after the oil price dropped again, dragging down fuel prices. The average cost of diesel hit 109.48 pence a litre on Nov. 30 after it started the month at 109.77 pence. (http://ind.pn/1Irw8pr)
* George Osborne's decision to raise stamp duty for buy-to-let landlords will cost tenants an extra 55 pounds a month in rent, according to Kent Reliance. (http://ind.pn/1SyTIRK)